This girl's my angel
by Ranowa Hikura
Summary: Begins during Sora's training for the Angel's Act. Romantically Sora/Leon, Yuri/Layla, May/Ken  hey, its unconventional, get it a chance!  No longer a oneshot! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Set when Leon is training Sora for the Angel's Act. Disclaimer: I don't own Kaleido Star

"No!" Leon called out, clearing the stopwatch once again. "Don't waver! Keep yourself perfectly still!"

Sora nodded immediately and said loudly, "Yes, Leon-san!" then resumed her original pose under the freezing water, and Leon started his stopwatch again, watching the young girl closely.

Layla tore her hateful glare away from Leon to stare at Sora, who was shivering violently from the cold and her exhaustion, though still managing to hold herself upright and in the correct position. She had seen Sora like this before- and not just Sora. She herself had been like this... When training for the Mystical Act, though Layla's self-induced torture had been more literally more difficult then Sora's, they had both been pushed past their limits. Sora had barely managed to come out on the other end of it, and Layla, to make for Sora's inexperience, had keep silent about her injury and continued her midnight runs, in addition to their gruesome training by daylight. Though Kalos had pushed them both, they both pushed themselves harder. That was what Sora was doing now, for Leon. Just like she had trained so hard for the Mystical Act- because of Layla.

But this was far worse. Layla knew she herself would have just as hard a time as Sora training for the Angel's Act. She wondered how long Sophie had managed to last under it, and how Leon would react if Sora made it farther then his sister. He had been reluctant to push Sora in the beginning at all; he had seen the affect it had had on Sophie. How much pain he had been forced to put her through, until her death. But when Sora had became her own demon, Leon had relented and begun training her himself.

Layla saw Sora tip slightly to the right. She corrected herself, but Leon had noticed. "No!" he shouted once more. "You have to remain still. Again!" She saw Sora nod and was sure the young girl was crying, though the waterfall above her hid her tears. Layla looked around and saw the others must have noticed as well. Anna had her hand over heart, Mia's own eyes were glistening, and Ken was staring at Sora in pure horror. Marion looked between Leon and Sora in disgust, looking like she wouldn't to strangle the silver-haired beast.

Leon himself seemed impassive, but Layla knew him well enough. She saw him cross his arms to hide his trembling hands, how he kept his expression carefully blank and how he refused to acknowledge the anger in the others. Layla wasn't going to stand for this any longer. "Leon!" she shouted over the pouring water. "Enough!"

Leon hesitated a moment longer, then called out, "Sora! Break! Twenty minutes!" Sora held her pose for a moment longer, then collapsed, trembling violently and landing on her hands and knees as Leon shut off the water flow.

"Sora!" cried Mia with a gasp, and the four hurried over to Sora and helped her over to where she could sit down, Ken draping a towel around her shoulders. When Leon had first started the training, Sora had tried weakly to fend off their help, but by now she had given up and just accepted it.

Layla stalked over to Leon, who was watching Sora as her friends crowded around her. Fool was gazing at her from afar, and Layla knew he was probably telling her future- success or failure for the Angel's Act. Well, she didn't need the spirit of the stage to tell her the outcome this time. That depended on Sora and Sora alone.

"What is it, Layla?" Leon asked quietly, still without looking at her.

"You know damn well what," Layla hissed, glaring at him coldly, her hands clenched into fists. Leon did not flinch at her tone, but eventually turned to look at Layla, his expression impassive. "Lay off on Sora. Now."

Leon smirked, shaking his head. "You were the one who told me push her. Now you want me to let her relax?"

"I'm not kidding, Leon. You are pushing that girl past her limits. She's not going to last much longer."

He sighed, then looked back at Sora and nodded. "I know."

"So _stop, _for God's sakes! Leon, if you don't stop training her so hard _now_, she is not going to make it, and I know what I'm talking about when I say that will not bode will for you. Sora's friends are fiercely protective of her, and I know for a fact the only reason Yuri hasn't snapped and come to stop you himself is because he still feels guilty about Sophie- but I don't share that guilt. So I am here in his place, for both his sake and my own- and Sora's. _Stop hurting her,_, Leon!"

"I thought this was what you wanted, Layla. For Sora to become a True Kaleido Star. She told me once; that those were the last words were said to her before leaving after the Mystical Act." Leon glanced over his shoulder at Layla, raising one eyebrow in skepticism.

"I wasn't aware this was the asking price."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning his body fully to face her. "Oh, please, Layla! I may not have seen the Mystical Act you performed with Sora, but I have heard of it. I also heard from Kalos how grueling their training was and what you sacrificed. I am now in your position; except my part simply exists to facilitate Sora. She is the angel, but I am her demon- that's what the Angel's Act _is_, Layla. The angel is so beautiful, so perfect she draws everybody's eyes and turns them pure at heart, even the demon's. Though the effects may last only as long as the angel is in the air, you can not deny that what I am saying is true. I will not lie- Sora has been pushed past her limits. But so were you, when training for the Mystical Act."

Layla shook her head bitterly. "I was prepared for it; I knew what I was getting myself into! Sora's different; and we knew how long our training for the Mystical Act would last! This torture has no expiration date, Leon, and that in itself is torture. Sora has always been like this, in her attempts to accomplish impossible. Most people say it started with the Mystical Act, but they're wrong. It started when I gave her an ultimatum: Learn the Golden Phoenix in one week, or quit Kaleido Stage. Sora, who had no experience on the trapeze whatsoever, pushed herself so hard that everyday, she went home covered in cuts and bruises, only making it back in time to grab a few hours of sleep before getting up in the morning to go to her classes. And yet she pulled it off. She always has somehow managed to pull of the impossible, but this is too much, Leon. She's not going to make it."

"You underestimate her, then. She will. Trust me."

Layla looked over at Sora, who was curled up into a tiny ball, the blanket still wrapped around her shivering shoulders, her eyes closed even though she wasn't asleep. Ken cast a fiery glare at Leon before returning his attention to Sora, and Leon just sighed, looking away. "Ken had to be her 'demon' before, so to speak," Layla explained. "For the Mystical Act."

Leon nodded, no further explanation necessary. "Layla, do not intercede with Sora's training again. I know that you don't want me to push her this hard, and I know she won't make it much longer. You don't have to worry. She'll last as long as she has to."

"Leon!" Layla snapped, glaring at him, her voice fierce and full of anger. Leon turned back to look at her, cocking his head curiously. "I am going to say this one time and one time only: do _not_ hurt this girl. Because if you do, I will hurt you back. Sora has the chance to carry out the dream I can not; and more than that; she changed me, just as much as she's changed you. I will not stand by and let you hurt her. I care for her, and I know her limits better than you do. So listen to me now, and when I say to give her a break, then do it."

Leon smiled slightly, the nodded. "Layla, you're not the only one who cares for her," he said softly, looking at his feet. "I've had alot pf partners, most like May, though few were quite as skilled as she is. But none like Sora. She's the first one since Sophie who's..."

Layla nodded in understanding, her gaze still cold, then backed away as Leon called to Sora. Immediately, the young girl got up and returned to the familiar spot on the center of the platform. When Leon flicked on the waterfall, Sora held her arms out, then raised her left leg up straight behind her, holding it perfectly straight. Once she was steady, she raised herself up on her right toes, keeping herself upright through the stinging spray. Her eyes locked with Leon's for a moment before he looked away, staring uncertainly at the ground. Sora returned her gaze to straight ahead and concentrated on keeping herself still. If she could only keep this up a little longer...

Leon looked back up at Sora, unable to suppress a tiny, proud smile when he saw how her form refused to waver, how her concentration refused to break. It has been just like Sophie, in those final days before the Circus Festival, so many years ago.

She had dedicated her short life to performing the Angel's Act. Sora was young, too; only two years older than Sophie had been, and yet, though he had performed with many others, most certainly more qualified then Sora, he was convinced he had finally found the one. Sora was fulfilling Layla's and Sophie's dreams, and Leon's, as well- to finally allow his sister to rest in peace. That had been his purpose for a while now; but Sora had changed all that. He still wanted to accomplish what Sophie had been unable to, but now he wanted to do so _with Sora_. She had done so much more then give his past peace, she had finally given him the strength to move forward, the live for more than just the Angel's Act. This girl really was his angel.

He increased the strength of the spray, his smile growing wider when, for the first time, Sora remained still. "Yes!" he shouted over the water. "Keep it up, Sora!" Sora was too exhausted for this news to take even some of the weight off her shoulders, but he saw Layla nod at him. "Looks like you were wrong, Layla," he murmured under his breath. "This torture does have an expiration date- she's ready. One more day and she'll be ready."

Should I continue with 'Angels on the Trapeze' and then the Angel's Act or just leave it off as a oneshot? Tell me in a review… please?

My wings are my dream, which take me to the sky!


	2. Chapter 2

Yay! Reviewers! RUNOS SISTER: oh, really? I thought it could be called both, but I haven't watched the anime in a long time. Thanks!

So, I decided to continue it, obviously…

**Chapter 2**

When Sora woke up, the first thing she saw was sunlight streaming through her window. She remained frozen for a moment, then gasped and bolted out of bed, hurriedly reaching for her clothes when a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Sora, stop. It's over."

She blinked blearily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, then looked up at the shadowy figure leaning over her. Someone flicked on the light, and she realized it was Anna. "An... Anna?" she asked after a second of confusion, slowly getting to her feet. This had to be some new ploy of Leon's, but Sora failed to see how letting her sleep in half the day would do anything towards the Angel's Act at all. "What's going on?" she asked uncertainly.

Mia, who was also in the room, just gave her a small smile, as did Anna. "Sora..." Mia said quietly, then stopped, glancing at Anna.

Anna's smile grew wider, and she started off with, "Sora, you... you..." But she trailed off as well.

Sora looked between Mia and Anna in confusion, growing more and more worried by the second, and was about to demand to know what was going on when the door burst open to reveal Sarah, who was carrying bags of party food and liters of soda and, as usual, was very excited about something. "Sora!" she shouted when she saw her, dropping everything by the door and rushing forward, jumping up and down. "Sora, Sora, Sora, isn't this great? I mean, I knew this would happen in the end, but Leon was taking so long we were starting to wonder if he ever would and then he did and-"

"Wait, wait, wait, just slow down a second!" Sora shouted, then waited until Sarah had calmed down to ask in a slightly quieter voice, "Will someone _please_ tell me what is going on?"

Sarah stared at Anna and Mia, then back at Sora in confusion. "They didn't tell you?" Sora shook her head, and Sarah smiled before clapping her hands together and exclaiming, "Sora, last night, Leon said you were ready. He said that the special training was over; that you two just have to rehearse it on the trapezes for a week or so and you'll be ready to perform!"

Sora's eyes widened in shock, and she looked at her three friends, amazed, before whispering, "He... he passed me? I made it?"

"You made it, Sora," Mia said softly.

Everyone was quiet for one, long moment, then Sarah squealed, "_Party_!"

Five hours later, the party had spread out into the hall, consisting of Anna, Mia, Sarah, Marion- who had brought along Jonathan- May, Ken, Rosetta, and, of course, Sora. She was still pretty sore, so she spent most of the time lying on the couch, talking with one of her friends. Sarah, as usual, was practically bouncing off the walls, even though it getting rather late- apparently, Sora had slept until 2 in the afternoon. Leon had told everyone to let her take the day off, and, though she back at work tomorrow, that it wouldn't be as hard as the 'special training' had been. Now they just had to master it on the trapeze.

Suddenly, silence fell out in the hallway. Sora sat upright with a quiet groan, straining to see who or what had caused it when Leon appeared in the doorway. "Leon-san!" she gasped, getting quickly to her feet.

Everyone moved out of the way as Leon took a slow step forward except for Jonathan. He crawled curiously on to his foot.

Leon stared down at it in pure shock and Sora cried, "Jonathan!" She hurried forward and pulled the seal back, handing him off to Marion and blushing furiously. "I'm so sorry, Leon-san," she apologized, quickly backing away from him. "That was just Jonathan; he likes to meet new people and..." she trailed off in the uncomfortable silence, biting down on her lower lip anxiously and hoping not to embarrass herself further.

Leon stared at her for another second, then just shook his head and started talking. "First, Mia, the scene director wants to see you, and Anna, May, Rosetta, and Sarah, you all are wanted down at Kaleido Stage. They want to see your comedy act and the Eternal Illusion, and I think Kalos wants to see Sarah." Everybody besides Sora and Marion hurriedly filed out into the hallway, and Marion took one look at Leon before picking up Jonathan and rushing after them. When they were all gone, Leon continued. "Sora. Due to budget constraints, we've had to schedule the first performance for sooner than expected- exactly one week from today."

Sora gasped, staring at him in shock, nearly choking on her water. "Wha- what? One week? But we've never rehearsed this on a stage! And not just us- the show hasn't even been put together yet! We don't have time to-"

"Which is why we have to start practicing now," he interrupted quickly. "As in today. I'm sorry, I really did intend to give you the entire day off, but now we can't afford to relax. Don't worry, it will still be easier than the special training."

Sora nodded quickly, though the new date for the performance still had nervous. "I- so, we're going to start practicing today?"

"Yes. Come on; I'll drive you. That is, if there's nothing else you need to here..." Sora quickly shook her head, so he led her out into the hallway. It was mostly deserted, most people already being down at Kaleido Stage. Leon glanced down at her, then said, "Thank you."

Sora's eyes widened in shock, then she turned to look at him and stammered, "Wha- what?"

"For staying with me this long. Sophie made it this far too. Everyone- even those that I actually started training for the Angel's Act- either quit of their own accord or simply couldn't succeed. The training got so bad that even Layla thought you wouldn't make it."

Sora blinked, stumbling slightly. "Lay... Layla-san said that? Oh..."

When Leon saw her desolate expression, he quickly relented. "Only because it was taking so long to complete; Layla didn't doubt you, she doubted that I would end your training soon enough."

Sora sighed, looked down at her feet again. "Oh," she said softly, unconvinced. Even after all this time, Layla still hadn't been completely sure in her... maybe she wasn't qualified to perform the Angel's Act with Leon at all. Maybe it should be May or Layla, or some other star...

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

Layla caught onto Yuri's hand as she soared below him, allowing him to gently throw her skyward. Layla had practiced catching onto trapezes and Yuri without putting too much strain on her shoulder, and while it wasn't foolproof, it allowed her to perform with only minor pain. However, the Angel's Act required little use of her arms, anyway, and she was looking forward to tonight, when she planned to challenge Sora.

When she drifted down and Yuri caught her again, he asked, "Should we call it a night or do it one more time?"

Layla hesitated, then nodded. "We can run it down one more time, but then we should head down to Kaleido Stage if we won't to catch Sora and Leon before they leave. Come on, from the top."

Yuri nodded, then dropped Layla, allowing her to fall down and land safely on the mat as he jumped from trapeze to trapeze, making his way to the lowest one. Layla closed her eyes, then jumped up to him. "You know," he said, catching her with ease, "you never did explain your reasons for challenging Sora. I doubt it's because you want to perform the Angel's Act instead of her."

"Why do you doubt that?" she called as she flew towards the ceiling, flipping over on of the trapeze bars and falling back towards Yuri. "Why do you always assume that I have some ulterior motive?"

"Because, love, you're Layla. Nothing's ever what it seems on the surface with you."

She sighed, shaking her head. Truth to be told, Layla herself wasn't exactly sure why she was going to challenge Sora. She didn't want to _beat_ Sora, like she had felt during the Circus Festival, but she did want to win. And she was looking forward to the audition, because she knew Sora would accept- however, it was different from back when she had first auditioned for a lead part. She had been anxious beforehand and scared out of her mind when she stepped out on that trapeze. Now... there was none of that. Just the fierce need to compete with Sora. Why, though? To prove herself? To have Sora prove herself? Or maybe because she really wanted to perform the Angel's Act?

Well, whatever the reason was, soon, there would be two angels on that stage, competing for the honor of performing the Angel's Act. Of being the True Kaleido Star.

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

Leon lowered Sora gently to the floor, smiling slightly in the silence. Everyone watching had just given the pair a standing ovation, after seeing their performance. "Well, that's enough for tonight, Sora. I'll see you here tomorrow morning."

She nodded and the pair was about to part when a familiar voice called out, "Sora!" Sora hesitated, as did Leon. Nobody left as they all waited for the speaker to reveal herself. Layla walked out from where she had been standing at the back of the room, Yuri right behind her. "I have come to challenge you. Do you accept?"

She blinked, confused. "Wha... challenge me? Layla-san? What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the lead roles in Swan Lake, Siegfried and Odette*. Yuri and I are challenging you and Leon for them. Do you accept? If not, step down from the role." Sora stared at her in shock, unable to understand what was going on. Layla and Yuri walked closer, and Layla said loudly, "Do you still not understand, Sora? I have mastered the Angel's Act, too. Yuri and I are challenging you. We want the next roles in Swan Lake. Your angel versus mine. _Do you accept?"_

Sora's eyes widened in amazement. _Layla-san... is challenging... me? ME? Her angel versus mine? But why? __Does Layla truly want to take my place in Swan Lake?_ …_Training must have been hard for her, with her shoulder... I should accept, to honor her, at least. She certainly is beyond capable of beating me, though. _Well, if that was true, so be it. If Layla had the better angel, then she should perform it in Sora's place. If Layla already doubted Sora... perhaps she should just step down from the role.

But... _Leon!_ He wasn't performing this just to become a True Kaleido Star... it was also for Sophie. She couldn't quit now; Leon needed this! And she hadn't worked so hard for nothing! Becoming a True Kaleido Star had been Layla's dream, but she had passed it onto Sora. If this was what she had to do to accomplish it, then so be it.

Despite Sora's dream of a conflict-free stage... this new challenge had her pulse racing in excitement, and she was already looking forward to it, even though she hadn't accepted it yet. "Surpass me or step down from the role, Sora!" Layla shouted, gazing steadily at her. "_Do you accept_?"

If Layla wanted Sora to surpass her... _I will prove myself to Layla! I WILL win this challenge! _"Yes!"

Layla smiled, nodding. "Good. We meet tomorrow morning, Sora, Leon. I look forward to it." Then she turned on her heel and left, Yuri right behind her. Most stared after her in shock and amazement, but not Sora. She didn't know why Layla was doing this, but she knew it didn't matter. Whatever the reason, she would give it her all tomorrow- for Leon, and for herself.

Please review. Note: I have no idea if Odette and Sergfried were the two people in Swan Lake or not; that's just what Wikapedia said. And the reason these chapters are so short is because I like to update daily, because I usually finish stories before I start posting them. But I wasn't planning on continuing this, so I didn't do that with this one. Well, on the upside, it'll have more chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

Reviews make me go :D

**Chapter 3**

Layla nodded at Sora as she walked towards the stage to start stretching. Kalos, the investors, most of the staff, Sora's posse', and Cathy were the only ones there, so it was mostly empty. It was odd- usually, before an audition, people took sides. But for this one, everyone said it could truly go either way, and they supported both Layla and Sora. Layla, on one hand, had been the top female star at Kaleido Stage for years, and was widely renowned for her sacrifice for the Legendary Maneuver. Yuri, being her co-star, was also quite famous and well-liked. Sora, on the other hand, was young, and had only been the star of Kaleido Stage for a few months. She had co-starred with both Layla and Leon, though, at first, people had only come to watch her perform because of who she was partnered with. But, though Sora may not have list of accomplishments to her name, that said nothing for her skill level. She wasn't as experienced as the others, but there was something about her...

Kalos murmured to Sarah, "The True Kaleido Star finally has a challenger that may defeat her. She's one of the few that is skilled enough."

Sarah raised an eyebrow curiously. "You talking about Layla or Sora?"

He hesitated, then shrugged. "Both. I think you know as well as I do that the outcome of today's audition is impossible to predict. And they're both True Kaleido Stars, in a way. Layla was the one who started the legend, now Sora will be the one to take it up after her. I wonder what Layla's reasons are..."

"Don't we all," Sarah murmured.

Fool hovered behind Layla's head, watching the two stars prepare for the audition. "Today, one of these star's will step down. Her inner flame that drives her to become the True Kaleido Star will die. Which one will perform the true Angel's Act? Not even the stars can tell me. Only Layla and Sora may decide."

"Nervous?" Leon asked Sora while she stretched.

She shook her head. "No, not really. Losing to Layla-san would not be an embarrassment, and, besides, we've done all we can to prepare."

He nodded in agreement. "Yes. And Layla certainly is a worthy opponent, as is Yuri."

Leon fell silent then, and Sora hesitated, unsure if she should just remain quiet or if she should say what was on her mind. With a sigh, she spoke up again. "Leon-san... I think Sophie was happy."

He blinked, then looked down at her in surprise. "What?"

She shrugged. "I know you didn't want to start the special training with me because you saw what it had done to Sophie. But, while it was physically and mentally taxing... I think she was happy. After all, she had you. You cared for her. I think anybody who has someone who cares for them as much as you cared for Sophie is happy. It's like your gift to them- you're sharing your angelic heart with them."

Leon laughed quietly, shaking his head. "You're the angel is this act, not me, Sora." As he gazed down at her, though, he softened. "But thank you anyway."

Sora hesitated, then got to her feet and said, "Leon-san, if you're attempting the Angel's Act because you want to make it up to Sophie, then I can't perform it with you. If stepping out on the stage causes pain for you, then I will audition for the role of angel alone. I won't let you cause pain to yourself, especially if the cause is unfounded."

He blinked, his eyes widening in shock. No one had ever done something like this for him. Except... Sophie. He sighed- they were alike in so many ways, and yet so different. After a moment, he smiled and shook his head. "Thank you once again, Sora. But I'm not only performing this to give rest to Sophie. I want to see your angel, and I want to be a part of it. I want to be your partner, Sora, if you will accept me."

It was Sora's turn to be surprised. _LEON is asking MY permission? Wasn't this supposed to go the other way? Wasn't I supposed to ask if it was all right for me to take Sophie's place? _But then again, she wasn't taking Sophie's place. Perhaps that was what Leon had finally realized- Sophie was gone, and it was time to stop comparing all his partners to her. He would never find one quite like her again, but that didn't mean he couldn't find someone that made him just as happy. "I... yes, Leon-san. I will perform it with you."

Layla watched as Sora talked with Leon, then shook her head and laughed quietly. "You know, I don't think anyone had seen Leon smile until he met Sora," she told Yuri softly.

"Yes. She certainly is special. I wonder what she has, that all of us don't? What makes her so different?"

After a moment, Layla sighed, then got to her feet. "Come on, Yuri. It's almost time."

He nodded, then captured her lips in a long kiss. When he pulled apart, breathless, he said, "I'll catch you."

Layla smiled. "I'll be there." Then he jumped up to the trapezes. 'I'll catch you' and 'I'll be there' had been Layla and Yuri's code for 'I love you', ever since the Golden Phoenix.

Leon saw Yuri getting ready and nodded to Sora. "I'm going up, Sora. We're starting soon. Just remember what we practiced last night and you'll be fine." She nodded, then walked over to Layla.

Layla nodded at her and said, "Good luck, Sora."

She smiled slightly. "To you as well."

Then the lights dimmed, Sora and Layla both looked up at their respective partners, preparing to jump.

Rosetta leaned forward, watching in earnest. All four performers on that stage were brilliant in their own way; each with their own strengths and weaknesses, each who had prepared equally perfect yet unique angels. Which one was the illusion and which one was true at heart remained to be seen.

May stared at Sora, unable to hold back a small pang of jealously. She had once performed with Leon; been his star. She had always wanted to perform on the same stage as Layla, too- a childhood dream that had faded with time, but was still present. But as she watched Sora's angel, she knew that Leon had chosen correctly- she never could have performed this.

Leon caught Sora lightly, letting the angel lead him. She turned, bringing him with her, then danced away, just out of his grasp. He felt an unfamiliar pang of longing, one that he couldn't understand. Why did he regret the loss of contact? Why did he want to hold her tighter and never let her go?

Layla passed Sora in mid-air, their forms barely touching, but she felt her skin burn like fire when they touched and had to resist the urge to turn and watch her continue to perform. However, she knew that, later, it would be impossible not look on at Sora- now, the two were just dancing lightly across the stage, beating around the bush. Neither one had truly begun the Angel's Act yet.

Yuri grabbed her hand as she sailed past, hanging on tightly as she flew underneath him, Yuri guiding the trapeze across the stage. Sora sailed overhead, and she saw Leon whirl her around gently before she passed out of Layla's line of vision. Once again, Layla wanted to pull herself up onto the trapeze and stop performing, just to watch Sora.

_Neither one is making mistakes,_ Rosetta realized in shock. _They're both beautiful, perfect... flawless. _Sora's angel seemed more relaxed and carefree than Layla's, which appeared sad and morose- but it was still impossible to chose which one was performing better.

Sora had just realized the same thing Rosetta had- she had yet to make a mistake, and from what she had seen of Layla, she was just as flawless. If they continued on like this, there would be no winner to the audition. But neither one had yet to shock and impress yet, to draw the brilliant applause from the audience. Two half-hearted angels was not the Angel's Act. So when Leon caught her again, she clung to him and murmured, "Hint: ad lib means improvisation."

He smiled and nodded slightly. "Understood." Then he released her, and Sora let herself go, forgetting their practiced routines and moving across the stage like liquid water through silver glass.

"It's Sora. Her performance has changed," Yuri whispered to Layla as she rested her hands delicately on his shoulders.

She smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm. How interesting." Then she was one again, dancing lightly across the stage until she caught sight of Sora again. It was just a passing glance, but she immediately turned her back, staring at Sora in shock. She had begun her angel, and Layla no longer cared about winning the audition. All she cared about was watching Sora.

_What is this... what are these feelings, these memories... _Layla gasped as she remembered being a child once again, and not the heartbreak of seeing her mother die, of seeing her father cry... she remembered going to se Kaleido Stage for the first time... singing 'Happy Birthday' to her mother on her 32nd birthday... being carefree. Happy.

When Yuri caught her gently, she saw how he was remembering his childhood, before his father had died, as well. Layla melted into him, and, together, they watched Sora's angel.

Anna gasped, blinking hard against the tears in her eyes. Sora's angel... it, somehow, reminded her of when her father had still lived with her and her mother. How he had made her laugh. How she had made her mother laugh. And the memories, though they usually made her sad... they made her smile. What was this? What was going on?

When she tore her eyes off Sora to look at the others, she saw they were all similarly caught up in the past, small, amazed smiles playing across their faces. Why was Sora's angel making them remember the most perfect memories of their childhood? Why was it making them happy?

"Sophie..." Leon breathed, remembering, not how much the training had hurt her, but her smile, her laugh, her eyes. How she had given him the charm bracelet he still wore today on Christmas. How she had collapsed onto the floor, tears of laughter streaming down her face at the story he was telling her. The fiery determination that never left her eyes, the happiness that never left her smile. "Sora..."

Sora herself was unaware of the affect her angel was having on everybody else. When she finally dropped back down to Leon, she was surprised when he made his way to the ground, her in his arms. "Leon-san? We didn't finish!"

He sighed, shaking his head. "We didn't have to, Sora."

Layla and Yuri dropped down next to them, and Kalos called out, "I trust that outcome of the audition is obvious, Layla?"

Immediately, Sora was horrified. She had lost so badly they hadn't even needed her to finish? She had let Leon down and not met Layla's expectations? But... Sora had thought she'd been doing so well... how had- "Yes, Kalos. Sora and Leon will perform the Angel's Act."

Sora gasped, turning to Layla in shock, even though she seemed to be the only one who seemed surprised. "What? But... Layla-san, how-"

"Sora, the True Kaleido Star turns fellow performers into the audience as well. When I was up there with you at the same time, I couldn't control the urge to turn and watch you. Congratulations, Sora. You have surpassed me, and when you perform the true Angel's Act, you will fulfill my dream- which is no longer to be the True Kaleido Star. It's to see you become the True Kaleido Star. I look forward to seeing your angel, Sora."

Yeah, this fic is going to be pretty short, but I won't end it with the Angel's Act. After all, I have to give Sora and Leon their 'I love you' moment! Review please


	4. Chapter 4

I always love reviews! Also, this chapter is more Layla/Yuri and May/Ken then Sora/Leon- here's why: first, I just like Layla/Yuri, second… well, I absolutely hate May/Ken and see no reason for them to be paired together, but I need May to be paired with a guy with something that's going to happen later, and- well he was available. Don't worry, Sora and Leon get some love next chapter!

**Chapter 4**

"So? Now do you realize why, Layla?" Yuri asked, stroking the blond's hair as she lay her head on his bare chest.

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yuri, I'm starting to think you love Sora more than me. Ever since I decided to challenge Sora with the Angel's Act, that's all you've been talking about!"

With a chuckle, Yuri wrapped an arm around her small shoulders, unable to hold back a small smile. "Well, that's because it's had you very distracted, and I don't like when you're distracted. It means you're not focused in the bedroom, and that means I don't get to be as happy afterwards, if you know what I-"

"Yuri!" Layla exclaimed as she rolled off his chest so she could look at him, glaring at him. "I can't believe you!"

He started laughing as he held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just saying! Ever since this whole challenge thing came up, that's all you've been focused on! Even though I thought you quit the stage and wanted to see Sora become the True Kaleido Star... You can't blame me for being confused."

With a sigh, Layla snuggled up closer to Yuri and closed her eyes. "You're right. I did quit the stage and I wanted to see Sora become the True Kaleido Star... I suppose that my dream never really died until I saw Sora's angel and knew I never could perform like that. And maybe I knew that she would do it all along- that she would become the True Kaleido Star. I wanted to stand on the same stage as her, and more than that, to _compete_ with her. I wanted to win... and lose, at the same time. Because if I won, it would mean it wasn't Sora."

Yuri chuckled, shaking his head. "You do realize that this is exactly how Sora felt about you when she joined Kaleido Stage? Although... perhaps that's why this was necessary."

"Mmm?" Layla asked, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.

"Sora continued to surpass everybody, proving again and again that she was the one, but the one person she never beat was you. When Sora first came to Kaleido Stage- and even before then- you were her idol. In her mind, she could never be as good as you. I have no doubt that she was at least a little insecure about the upcoming performance- that she wondered if it should be you instead of her. This, more than anything, will finally prove to Sora that she's the True Kaleido Star."

With a sigh, Layla shook her head and laughed quietly. "Yuri, it's late. No more psycho babble."

"You have something else in mind?" he asked, eyes darkening with lust.

Layla smiled and turned over in his embrace so she was facing him. "Yes. And, for once, it's exactly what you're thinking." She wrapped her arms tenderly around his neck and let him take her.

SVUSVUSVU

"Well, Sora, how does it feel?"

Sora glanced up at Sarah in confusion. "How does what feel?"

"To have surpassed Layla! I mean, beforehand, everyone was saying it would be close, but now- I mean, there was no doubt about who had won, and besides, even Layla admitted you had the better angel! I mean, for Layla to accept it like that makes me wonder if she didn't think was going to happen all along, but..."

Sora just shook her head and allowed Sarah's ramblings to pass over her. She liked Sarah, but sometimes it was just too much. With a quiet sigh, she took a sip from her water bottle and glanced Sarah's watch- five more minutes and she had to be back on stage.

Leon had said they were not going to practice much the next few days, and that for the rehearsals, they would just skip the last scene. This was just like when they had practiced for the Legendary Maneuver- they had never practiced the maneuver itself, not even for the rehearsals. The performance would be the first time. However, everyone else was practicing harder than ever, after seeing Leon and Sora during the audition. Rosetta and May were off somewhere, running over the Eternal Illusion with a fine-tooth comb, Anna was presenting her comedy act Mia and a few others right now, and Sora was pretty sure Marion had gotten an early audition to Kaleido Stage, because she wanted to be in at least one of the performances of Swan Lake. It seemed like everyone was getting what they really wanted, even Sora.

The conflict-free stage of her dreams couldn't really exist, she knew that now, but she did hope that it would remain like it had been yesterday, with Layla- there had bee conflict, yes, but it had only driven Sora to practice harder, and if it were not for Layla's challenge, she knew she never would have had the confidence she did now. Plus, after the audition, there had been no broken hearts or crushed dreams. Sora knew the reason she had yearned for a conflict-free stage in the first place was because of the Circus Festival... how many people had worked so hard for it, yet only two could win, and how the rest went home in tears or rage. How, just to win, Alice had nearly ended up dead. _That_ was the kind of conflict Sora wanted to avoid. She knew that, even if she and Leon could win the Circus Festival and were invited, she wouldn't want to go. Leon wouldn't need it; he had already won with May, and Sora had been partnered with three previous winners of the Circus Festival already. No reason to give all the glory to Kaleido Stage and crush everybody else just because Sora wanted to prove she was capable.

"Sora!" Ken called from where he was fixing one of the trapezes. "Leon's ready."

She nodded and smiled at him, then turned to Sarah and said, "I'll see you tonight, Sarah. Good luck with Kalos!"

Sarah blushed immediately and crossed her legs, staring at her feet, causing Sora to smile- apparently those four words were able to keep Sarah quiet, something that people had been searching for for _years_.

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Ken was headed over to change the lighting when he heard Mr. Kenneth say to Kalos, "You think she likes him?"

For some reason, Ken found himself very interested to know who they were talking about. He wasn't sure why, but the topic made him uneasy. Ken walked past them then stopped, close enough to still hear them but far enough way to not be noticed.

Kalos shrugged. "She likes him, all right. The question is, does she love him? I think we all know Leon loves her."

Mr. Kenneth nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, did you see the look on his face after this morning's audition when he looked at Sora? Hmm... I wonder... I think it's quite possible there's something more between them." Ken stared at them, horrified. _Sora? Sora and Leon? Sora and Leon as a COUPLE?_

Kalos shook his head, giving Ken hope. But what he said next took it away again. "No, there's nothing going on between them. But the possibility is there, though... yes, Mr. Kenneth, I think you're right. Sora may love him. If only the two would realize they love each other, then we can keep Kaleido Stage from turning into a soap opera. We went through the same thing with Layla and Yuri... thank god they waited until after they both quit to start a relationship."

"Yes- now tell me, Kalos, what is with you? You always pick out partners that end up falling love with each other! And I think- you, boy! What are you doing, just standing there? Don't you have work to do?"

"Ken!" Kalos exclaimed when he didn't respond. "Something you need?"

He blinked, then shook his head quickly and mumbled something about getting back to work before he turned and nearly ran into the lobby. When he saw it was deserted, he sank down to the floor, holding his head in his hands. How could he have been this blind? He had seen the look in her eyes whenever she talked about Leon! He had seen how she practically glowed whenever Leon was in the room, how her eyes followed him, how she fit into his arms like a key into a lock! How stupid was he to encourage this stupid, hopeless crush? He could never compete with Leon! Leon was tall and handsome and perfect in every respect! He could never hold a candle to that! And besides, Sora was way out of his league- she was a beautiful star, of course she would fall for someone more in her sphere!

Ken made up his mind to never, ever tell Sora about his affections for her right then and there. He had fallen for her the moment he had seen her bow after that first disastrous performance, but he had waited too long, and now he could never steal her away from Leon. He knew if he told her, the feeling wouldn't be returned in kind, and things would be unbearably awkward between them from there on out. He was lucky enough to have Sora's friendship. He would hold onto that and try to forget about everything else.

Of course, logic doesn't heal heartbreak. With a heavy sigh, he got back to his feet and was about to head back to do his job when someone called out from behind, "Hey! You!" He turned around tiredly and found himself face to face with May Wong. She was pretty in her own way, he supposed, but he had never liked her. "You're Ken, right?" He nodded sourly, not caring to talk to people right now. "Right, so, Ken, is Mia in there?" she asked, jabbing her thumb towards the stage.

He shrugged uncertainly. "Yeah, I think so."

May nodded as she walked away, tossing him a dazzling smile over her shoulder. "Thanks!" Ken blinked, then shook his head to clear it. _She would look better if she just let her hair down every once and a while._

Woah, where did that come from? He didn't even like May! Sure, she may be pretty, but she was a jackass!

No, he wasn't going to fall for another star. Besides, she and Sora were absolutely nothing alike, and he was still falling head over heels for Sora.

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Sora crouched on the trapeze across from Leon, watching as he explained something to Mia. She found herself admiring the thick muscles visible under his sleeveless shirt, the way it strained over his well-developed chest, his long, glossy silver hair...

She shook her head quickly, trying to get rid of such thoughts. Where on earth where they even coming from, anyway? Leon was her _partner_, for god's sakes! She shouldn't entertain such fantasies about him.

Leon stopped talking to Mia and beckoned to Sora. "It's late, Sora. You ought to go home, get some rest."

Sora started to make her way down, stopping when Leon did not follow. "Leon-san? You're not coming?"

He shook his head and gave her a small smile. "No, I'm going to stay and practice a little more." Sora hesitated, but when Leon saw her, he laughed and waved he on. "Go home, Sora. You're part is more difficult than mine and you've practiced all you can today. I'll see you tomorrow."

He waited for her to nod to continue practicing, jumping quickly to a higher trapeze like a lithe and graceful beast, but when Sora started to imagine him doing other things... involving her, a bed, and their clothes on the floor, Sora took off running out of the room. She was not going to entertain such fantasies. Leon was her partner and nothing more.

Mia started giggling to herself when she saw Sora rushing away. "Ooh, she is so in love!" she sang under her breath.

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"No! No, no, no, no! Damn it, Rosetta! We are performing this for Cathy and the others in _two days_! The way this is now, they'll laugh in our faces! Put your heart in it, Rosetta!"

Rosetta sighed as she crawled off the safety note and called, "I'm trying, May! We're almost perfect, but-"

"But almost isn't good enough! You saw Sora and Leon today- they _were_ perfect! It would be an embarrassment for us to perform something so sloppy on the same stages as them," May snapped harshly.

Rosetta just sighed again, hanging her head, and was about to try it again when May decided to change her approach. "Rosetta, wait." The younger girl looked up, and May said, "Look, I'm sorry. I know you don't have much experience with the trapeze anyway."

"No, I don't want you trying to make up for my lack of skill, May. I'll master it, don't worry. Come on, let's go aga-"

"That's not what I was going to say, Rosetta!" May realized she was getting angry again and forced herself to calm down. She really needed to work on her temper. "Look, when Layla was working in Las Vegas, Sora and I did a show with her. She told us to be perfect to demand the attention of the audience, to draw it away from the main star. Not because we were trying to steal the show, but for two reasons- an imperfect act _would_ distract the audience, defeating the whole purpose having anyone on the stage except the star- and to sort of... compliment the main star. To make their act better... to complete it. That's what we have to do. We have to help set the mood for the Angel's Act, to get the audience ready for it. The way this is now... we're not ready for it. And that's partly my fault; I've been focusing more on your part instead of mine. Come on, let's do it again, and this time I'll try to improve _my_ part, and you do the same with yours, okay?"

Rosetta hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. But can we come in late tomorrow? It's nearly midnight..."

May blinked in shock ."Really? Oh, then we should get home soon. Let's just practice it a few more times, all right? Tomorrow I'll nit pick, today I just want to see where we stand." Rosetta nodded, then stood up and prepared to jump onto the trapeze.

They practiced the Eternal Illusion a total of three times until May called it a night. "Well, that's pretty good," she panted as she climbed down, "but not perfect. Tomorrow we're going to have to work hard." Rosetta nodded with a small smile, then May blushed and asked, "So... Ken. You know him?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, sure. What about him?"

"Well, is he, uh... seeing anyone?"

Rosetta blinked, then gasped in shock and exclaimed, "May Wong! You have a crush! The emotionless ice queen May Wong has a crush!"

Blushing furiously now, May shouted, "I do not!"

"May has a cruuuush, May has a cruuuush," Rosetta started to sing, stopping when May tackled her to the ground.

"Shut up, Rosetta, or I swear to god I'll kill you!" When Rosetta continued to laugh, May rolled off her with a groan. "And it is not a crush! I met him earlier and thought he was nice and, well, kind of cute! All right, there, I admitted it! I thought he was cute! There, are you happy?"

Gasping to get her breath back, Rosetta shook her head and sat up, smiling slightly. "Yes, actually, very. And, to answer you're question, no, I don't think he's seeing anyone. All though everybody knows he's in love with Sora."

"Sora!" May gasped in shock. "Well, that's just perfect!" she snapped, not even realizing Rosetta was listening. "That girl steals everything from me! I mean, isn't Leon enough? Does she have to rub it in? Jesus!"

"Damn, girl!" Rosetta exclaimed once she had processed what May had just said. "I thought it was just a little crush! You barely even know Ken! Besides, he's not dating her. Anna and Mia tried to get him to ask her out, but it didn't work, he chickened out."

May just shook her head and got up to leave, wondering what on earth she was getting herself into.

Review please


	5. Chapter 5

I love reviews! And, for my SVU fics, I update everyday because I usually finish the fic before I post it, so I managed to get a chapter ahead on this one so I can update everyday. I'm working on Chapter 7 right now…

**Chapter 5**

Ken stretched as he sat down in a seat near the back, taking notes on which new acts were allowed in the coming up performance. Anna's comedy team had just been accepted, and May and Rosetta's Eternal Illusion was coming up next. He was pretty sure Marion was working on putting together something on the trampoline, having been accepted to the Kaleido Stage late last night, but he doubted it would be ready in time. There were a couple of other people still in line after May and Rosetta, but they could only allow one more scene in for tomorrow's production if Sora was to perform the Angel's Act at dawn, and he was pretty damn sure it was going to be May and Rosetta.

When May jumped out onto the trapeze first, he found himself admiring the pale skin of her stomach her costume exposed, the curve of her hips, her long legs and how they wrapped around the trapeze...

"Stop it!" he muttered to himself, quickly forcing his eyes to Rosetta. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly finding himself _attracted_ to _May_? Damn it, Rosetta was a pretty girl, and what's more, she had a personality that didn't rival the Devil himself! And how pathetic did that make him- the crush he had kept quiet for five long months, he finds out she's taken, and he's over it one day? And for _May_?

"Eternal Illusion!" May shouted as Rosetta launched herself across the stage, and Ken smiled slightly- though everyone else found it annoying that she announced her moves like she was a Pokemon or something, he found it rather cute. And, once again, when Rosetta and May ended up on the same trapeze, instead of focusing on the routine itself, or even Rosetta, he was eyeing May. How, when she dropped down and Rosetta caught by the wrists, how light and quick she was, and, when Rosetta threw her across the stage and jumped after her, how graceful she was... how perfectly she played the part of the Devil... and all the milky skin revealed by her costume, how, when she turned in mid-air, he could see her defined chest muscles...

With another shake of his head, Ken looked at Cathy instead, then breathed a sigh of relief. No fantasies ensued, he didn't start focusing on her figure, wondering how to get her into bed...

No, this had to stop- right now. He had barely even know May's name yesterday. Now, when she was in the room, all he could think about was ploys to get her in his room, breathless and naked underneath him, breathing his name through her lips...

And of course, the mere thought of May like that had him sweating and panting slightly. When he glanced back up at the already half-naked May again, he had to tie his jacket around his waist to hide the bulge in his pants. God damn it, he wasn't like this! With Sora, the attraction hadn't bee just physical! He had liked her for _her_, for god's sakes! He didn't even know May!

When Cathy called out that May and Rosetta's Eternal Illusion had been accepted, it jolted him back to reality, and he quickly scribbled it down on his notepad and wiped at his suddenly sweaty forehead, pushing damp locks of dirty blond hair out of his eyes. When Rosetta and, more importantly, May finally left, he breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. He didn't have any other utterly hopeless crushes on gorgeous stars.

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Rosetta was pretty sure she was going to have to play Matchmaker. She just didn't know how to do it. So, when May let her stop practicing to go eat lunch, even though she was tired and sore and all she wanted to do was curl up with a tube of muscle rub, she hurried off in search of Sora. She found her- _finally_- in her room. "What are you doing home now? I thought for sure Leon-san would be practicing you harder more than ever! I mean, the performance is tomorrow!"

Sora shook her head as she stepped back to let Rosetta in. "No, he said that, he gave me three hours off. You're going to practice for an hour before sunset, since we all have to go to bed early tonight. And what about you and May? Shouldn't you two be practicing right now? I mean, knowing May-"

"I'm supposed to be eating lunch right now," she explained quickly.

"Oh. So why are you-"

"Because I need your help!" Rosetta explained as she collapsed onto Sora's bed, kicking her feet in the air. Sora blinked before sitting down across from her, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"For what, exactly?"

"Getting Ken and May together!" Sora's eyes widened in shock and she gasped.. Of all the things she had expected to come out of Rosetta's mouth, _that_ was not one of them.

"K- Ken and May? _What_? Since when have they liked each other?"

Rosetta nodded empathetically, a small smile slowly spreading across her face. "I know, it sounds impossible, right? Well, a couple days ago, May told me she liked Ken, but when I told her that he liked you-"

"_What_?" Sora gasped, sitting bolt upright. "Since when has Ken liked _me_?"

Rosetta stared at for a second, then burst out laughing. "Honey, I don't know the exact date, but I can tell you that even I knew about it when I guest-starred here a couple month back!"

"Wait- you're talking about the diabolo battle? But... but that was six months ago!" Sora gasped when she realized Rosetta was telling the truth. "Oh my god! But... but he never said anything..."

"Yeah, well, Ken's too shy. But now everybody knows that you and Leon are, you know, a _thing_, now-"

At that, Sora jumped to her feet, blushing furiously. "What are you talking about? Me and Leon aren't a thing! That's impossible! Who's saying that?" Sora had already made her mind to hunt down and kill whoever was spreading the rumors when Rosetta stopped her.

"Sora, _everybody's_ saying it! No one had to start any rumors! We _all_ know you absolutely adore him, and one only has to look at him to see that he loves you, too!" At Sora's stunned look, Rosetta threw her hands up in the air and exclaimed, "All right, all right, I give up! I'm not playing matchmaker for you and him, anyway, I'm doing it for Ken and May. So you're got to help me! I can't do it alone!"

After a moment of nervous hesitation, Sora finally sat back down again, still thinking about the 'Sora and Leon' rumors even as she asked, "All right, so what do you want me to do?"

"Well, I'm taking care of May, you need to work at Ken. Tell him to ask her out on a date."

Sora blinked, then forced herself to focus on Rosetta. "Okay, but, first- how on earth do you know that they like each other?"

Rosetta leaned forward, a slow smile spreading across her face again. "Well, we were practicing for the Eternal Illusion the day before we performed it for Cathy and the others, and afterwards, she asked me if Ken was seeing anyone. So I wormed it out of her- she thinks Ken is 'nice and cute'. And the other day, I managed to trap Ken and May in the same room together- he started sweating and panicking and looking anywhere but at May, and then he was gone before I could bring the subject up. So I've got to get the two of them together- they would just seem so adorable! Now, I'm working with May, but I don't think she'll ask Ken out- she thinks he's still in love with you and doesn't want to alienate you anymore than she already has, I think. And you _know_ Ken won't ask her- he's _way_ too shy and is probably afraid she'll... you know..."

"Bite his head off?" Sora supplied, and they both laughed at that.

"Yeah, probably. So? Will you do it? Will you do it? Will you do it?" she asked, practically bouncing with her excitement.

Sora hesitated a moment longer, then threw her hands up in the air and exclaimed, "Oh, all right! Fine! I'll do it!"

"Yay!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Sora. "You have just become my favorite person in the entire world, Sora!" Then she stepped back and regained composure, quickly brushing her hair back and hurriedly examining herself in the mirror. "Okay, now I'm going to go work on May. You work on Ken!"

When Rosetta closed Sora's door, Sarah immediately assaulted her with questions. "Well? Did she go for it? And what about the other thing? Did she know? Did she? Did she? Did she?"

"Calm down!" she whispered as she led Sarah away, down the hall. "First of all, she agreed to help. And-"

"What about the other thing though?"

Holding back laughter, Rosetta said quickly, "Well, just be quiet and I'll tell you! First of all, she had no idea that that Ken liked her, and she had _no_ idea what I was talking about when I put her with her with Leon, but they seemed to have her a lot more anxious then the rumors about Ken, so that means we were right- there's something there. So we get to play Matchmaker _again_- except with Sora and Leon."

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Leon snagged Sora's wrist as she sailed by, pulling up her against them, like they had practiced. Then he called out, "Fix the lights! They're a little too dim!" However, instead of letting go, he kept his arms around Sora. At first, she was self-conscious and afraid she was going to do something to embarrass herself... but then inhaled, breathing in his scent- strawberries. That was it- strawberries. A strand of his silver hair fell across her face and she breathed in again, unconsciously leaning closer to Leon, melting into his gentle embrace.

Leon watched as Sora closed her eyes, inhaling, then leaned closer to him. He gripped her shoulder tighter, both to keep her from falling and just to feel her. She was so warm... and he could smell her... roses. So, so sweet. He could feel the smooth curve of her delicate shoulder, how soft her pale skin was, and how much he wanted to kiss the exposed skin.

He was nearly a second away from kissing her when the lights brightened and someone asked from off-stage, "Better?"

He blinked, then quickly released Sora and shouted, "Yeah, much!" Sora jumped away without looking and he shuddered, suddenly cold, without her warm body standing in front of him. Leon swallowed, suddenly nervous. He didn't know where these feelings for Sora had come up, but they had to go away. He and Sora... it couldn't happen. It just couldn't.

The moment Sora had escaped Leon's inviting embrace, she remembered Rosetta and how she had said everybody was talking about her and Leon as a couple. Damn it, the way she had acted just now was why! For the thousandth time already that day, Sora promised she would stop seeing Leon in that kind of light. She just couldn't seem them working together like that. It would ruin what they had, and she wasn't going to risk that just because she wanted to be selfish and have that strong, muscular body all to herself... right?

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Sora took a deep breath as she looked at Kaleido Stage at 3 in the morning. Today was finally the day. She and Leon would be performing the true Angel's Act for the first time in just three hours. And it wasn't just them; everybody was finally getting their dreams fulfilled. Anna was absolutely thrilled, especially because her father was coming to watch the early morning performance, and Rosetta was extremely happy because she was getting to star on the trapeze. Granted, it wasn't with Sora, it was with May, but Rosetta was just as happy with that. Perhaps even more so, because May had came up the scene with Rosetta in mind- she was playing a part that was quite literally made for her. Mia, too- she had directed other shows before, but this was easily the most unique and challenging of them all.

Sora, too, was very happy, and not just because everything was fitting together so perfectly. First, Layla and Yuri had promised to come and watch, something that both excited her and had her stomach twisting in knots at the same time. Also, because her parents were coming as well, and they were bringing Yume along. Sora had barely seen her little sister since her birth and was looking forward to talking with her parents after the performance.

"Good morning, True Kaleido Star."

Sora turned to look at Fool, who was hovering in mid-air behind her. "I'm not the True Kaleido Star yet, Fool. And please don't call me that."

He chuckled, moving out to float in front of her. "Yes, everyone does seem to be saying that alot lately. Do you want me to tell your fortune, Sora? Or do you already know it?"

"This time around? Yeah, I think do. I mean, things could go wrong, I suppose, but... I just have this feeling that everything's going to go perfectly, you know? Well, maybe you don't know, since you always seem to tell people's fortunes whenever you're unsure."

Fool laughed again. "Yes, I do. And you're right. I see nothing but success in your future.. True Kaleido Star."

"Fool!" Sora snapped, making a grab for him, but he just darted out of reach and disappeared from sight. She sighed, smiling as she shook her head, then headed back inside get ready.

Review please


	6. Chapter 6

Yay! Another reviewer! Always makes me happy!

**Chapter 6**

Sora chuckled quietly as she watched Anna's comedy act from above, smiling even wider when the audience roared with laughter. Just what Anna had wanted to happen. Now it was 5 am, and the ballroom scene. All they had left was for Leon to propose to May, then the Eternal Illusion, and then the Angel's Act.

Everything had been absolutely perfect, so far. Even the young rookies seemed to be performing better than usual, and Mia had found the perfect place to insert Marion's trampoline act, when it was ready. Sora and Leon had both done their far share of scenes, and this performance had to be the best they had ever done. Three more scenes, and that was it. Sora was in the next one, then she had to go change into her angel costume, as did Leon.

It was so close she could almost taste it. When Ken gave her cue, Sora sauntered forward, dashing towards Leon, stopping short at the sight of hi m passionately kissing May.

Though she knew it was all part of the performance and meant nothing, Sora still felt a small pang of jealously when she saw it. She wanted to pull May back from him and scream in her face. When Leon pulled back and turned to look at her, horrified, Sora swallowed quickly, turning and leaping off stage, even as Leon followed. The moment they were out of sight, he gasped, "Good luck, Sora!" before turning and running to get changed.

She blinked, shocked, then shook it off and hurried in the opposite direction. The Eternal Illusion was only about a minute and a half, and because of the fact they wanted to perform the final scene at dawn, the timing, now more than ever, was impeccable.

Once inside the changing room, she quickly ripped off the sparkly white, prom-style dress, then saw Fool hovering in the background. "Damn it, Fool!" she hissed as she quickly got dressed in her costume. "Why the hell must you be a pervert _now_, of all times?

He just shrugged and chuckled, and Sora groaned before trying to grab him. When he moved too high for her to reach, she just shook her head and dashed outside once again, headed down to the bottom of the stage. Hopefully, Leon was already at his entrance.

"Thank god," she breathed when she finally reached her spot and looked up- May and Rosetta were just finishing up their scene. She wasn't late.

She caught a glimpse of pale purple in the darkness and knew it was Leon, already in position. She smiled slightly, then waited for the music to change to jump lightly a few times on the trampoline, testing it out, before jumping up all the way to Leon. The gate was had already opened, revealing gray sky, but Sora wasn't scared. She was never scared during a performance. She closed her eyes, reaching up, and sure enough, Leon's hands touched her own. But they didn't catch her, her merely guided her upward.

Leon gazed up at Sora as the sun started to rise and she spread her arms, becoming the true angel. He stared at her in pure shock, his mouth hanging open. She was drop dead gorgeous to him, right then and there. And as the angel descended back to him, he saw how truly lovely and perfect she was, not just on the outside, but on the inside too. The angel's hands came to rest on his shoulders, and he mirrored her movement, hanging from the trapeze by his feet as he gazed into her deep, dark brown eyes. Sora smiled and closed her eyes, her grip on him gentle, barely existent already, then pushed back, spinning upwards again, and he instantly reached out to her, wishing she was still touching him. He wanted to feel her silky smooth skin again, her body- but the angel was already gone, out of his grasp.

"Sora..." he whispered, staring up at her as the golden light of the dawn framed her perfect figure. Almost nothing could have torn his gaze away from Sora now, but what happened next did the trick.

Rosetta and May dropped down by her, landing on a trapeze, and others came out onto the stage too. _They all want a part of this,_ he realized in amazement. _They all want a part of the Angel's Act; just to perform on the same stage as this goddess is the most wonderful feeling in the world... _The reason Leon knew this was because he was feeling it, too. Normally, a performance was not something he enjoyed and he tried to get it over with as soon as possible... but this... he didn't have to concentrate on anything; he wasn't working anymore, he was... having fun. Leon Oswald was having fun... because of Sora.

The angel changed her performance from what they had practiced; not that Leon minded. That just made it more easy-going and natural. She drifted past Rosetta and May, touching their hands and she passed, then clasped hands with Mia as the director jumped onto stage as well.

Sora turned to look at Mia, smiling brightly when she saw her thrilled expression, then dropped her hand and turned away from her, jumping towards Leon again. He gently gripped her arms, guiding her in a slow arc over his body, and she is shocked to see he was smiling too. Leon leaned forward, and his lips brushed against her own, but then she was off again, dancing across the stage to the others again.

Sora had barely realized that Leon's lips touched her's until she was halfway across the stage. And by then, she was so involved with everything else, she couldn't focus on it. But a very small part of her mind was in shock and wanted to giggle and scream and jump up and down like a teenage girl. "Sora!"

She blinked, then looked over and saw Layla performing next to her, twisting through the air with Yuri trailing along behind her. "Yuri-san! Layla-san!" she gasped in shock, then smiled again as, first Yuri, than Layla, both brushed lightly against her back.

Everyone was performing, all at once. Layla and Yuri, May and Rosetta, Marion and Jonathan, Anna and her comedy team- and it wasn't just members of Kaleido Stage. Pamela and the other members of the theatre troupe she'd guest-starred in a while back were on stage- hell, some of the people, she didn't even recognize, and they were all performing alongside her!

Leon dropped to a lower trapeze, unable to stop smiling now. He had never performed like this since he had been a little kid, when he hadn't seen it as a job, when he had just performed in his spare time, to relax... _this is what the stage IS to Sora! _he realized, and fell a little more in love with her.

Because he loved that angel who was currently flipping over Layla. He loved that perfect, flawless girl, and though she was as far off and impossible to attain as a goddess, that didn't stop his feelings for her. "Sora!"

As Sora's angel slowly to faded while Sora herself started to tone it down, people slowly stopped performing, until it was just Sora and Leon. Then she jumped over to him, and Leon took her into his arms. His warm, protective embrace... Sora smiled to herself and buried her head in his chest, savoring the feeling, because she knew the only reason she would ever get this close to Leon was because a performance called for it.

Amid the applause from the audience- and most of the other performers- Sora allowed herself to imagine that it was Sora and Leon embracing, not Sergfried and Odette. Even though that could only happen in her dreams...

Leon let himself believe that, for just a moment, it wasn't Odette in his arms, it was Sora, that she was his lover. That this was reality and not a hopeless figment of his imagination. He hugged her tighter for a moment, fighting the urge to just whisk her up into his arms and take her right then and there, but was forced to separate with her when Sora's friends converged on her, all shouting excitably so as to be heard over the raucous applause. Leon stepped back, smiling slightly when he saw how happy she was, then sighed and looked away. He could never make her that happy.

Sora's performance of the Angel's Act with him was a victory, yes- a victory over the guilt he'd felt for years- but it was one tinged with sadness, because it made him realize two things: One, he loved Sora, and two, he could never, _ever_ have her.

Sora gasped as Layla spun her around, hugging her tightly to her chest. "You did it, Sora!" Sora laughed when Layla set her down, still ecstatic. "Oh my god, _Sora_!"

Sora hugged her back, then caught a glimpse of Leon. He was standing off to the side, not participating in any happiness, just watching. Watching her, specifically. Leon blinked when he saw her gazing at him and quickly looked somewhere else, clearly unsettled. Sora swallowed, then turned away too, trying to convince herself she had imagined the whole thing.

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

"Go!" Rosetta exclaimed, trying to push Ken forward.

He hesitated, then tried to turn and rush off, but Sora stopped him and pointed at May's door. "No backing down, Ken! You're are going to do this!"

It was 6 pm, about an hour after their afternoon performance had ended. Everybody was absolutely exhausted, having done two performances in one day and been up since 3 in the morning, but that didn't stop Rosetta from trying to push May and Ken together.

"Look, we should do this some other time, shouldn't we? I mean, she's going to be tired, and I've been all day too, and we have another performance tomorrow-"

"Ken Robbins, if you don't ask May out, I swear to God-"

"Oh all right, I do it!" he snapped, throwing his hands up in the air. "But if this goes badly, I am taking it all out on you, Rosetta. I know I don't seem like it, but I can get very violent." At their skeptical expressions, he amended, "Okay, sometimes I can be very violent... on occasion..."

Rosetta just started giggling as she pushed Ken forward again.

May heard someone knock on her door and groaned inwardly- all she had wanted to do was _sleep_, god damn it! Maybe it was Ken, here to ask her out on a date. _Yes, and it might also be the Easter bunny._

She sighed and forced herself to get off her bed. She stalked over to the door, throwing it open and preparing to bite someone's head off, then stopped and gasped in shock.

Ken Robbins was standing nervously in her doorway, wearing a black suit and carrying a rose. He blinked and stumbled back a step, then took a deep breath, offered her the rose, and said, "May Wong, it would be my pleasure to take you out tonight."

She stared at him in shock for a good five seconds before asking slowly, "And by take you out, you mean a date? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ken hesitated, seeming uncertain, then squared his shoulders and nodded. May idly wondered how she was still maintaining her composure as she reached out and took the rose, then said, "Then I would love to."

May was shocked when she heard cheers erupt from just outside her door. She frowned, then dashed outside and pushed past Ken to find Sora, Sarah, Anna, Mia, and Rosetta. The brunette seemed especially proud of herself, and she stepped forward from the group and jumped up and down, pumping her fist in the air. "Yes! Success!"

"Wha- what is going on here?" May demanded, looking between Ken and Rosetta in confusion.

"I got you two together!" Rosetta exclaimed, still dancing. "I had Sora get Ken to work up enough nerve to ask you out! I just _knew_ it would work and you would say yes!"

May stared at her, then shouted, "I am so going to get you for this! But, first... I do want to enjoy my date." With that, she nearly ran past them, tugging Ken behind her by his hand.

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

"Goodbye, Yuri-san, Layla-san," Sora said, speaking for everyone was there to see them off. Layla was going to California to start her movie career again, this time without any regrets, and Yuri was moving with her and was going for a career in acting too.

Everyone waved goodbye, and Sora smiled when she saw May and Ken standing together, holding hands. It had been two weeks since their absolutely fantastic first date, and Sora was starting to think they made a better couple then she had first thought. Sora hesitated, looking about at Layla, then asked, "Layla-san... will you think of me as your dream from now on?"

Layla shook her head and smiled. "No, Sora." Sora blinked, then bit her lip uncertainly, but Layla continued. "You are my pride and joy."

"Layla-san!" Sora gasped softly, completely shocked, then smiled widely and nodded. _She was my idol... and now I am her pride and joy? _This meant more to her than almost anything else anyone had ever done for her.

Layla turned her gaze to the others and smiled at them all, then took Yuri's hand and walked back to their car.

And now I will no longer steal quotes from Kaleido Star, I'll actually have to make them up on my own. Also, Sora and Leon don't get their 'I love you' moment next chapter, but it's something similar…

Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

Reviews=me=:D Yeah- and I'm never here when people review! I go to bed with zero reviews, but when I get up in four hours later, my inbox is cluttered with 's review alerts. Especially for my SVU stories. Anyways…

**Chapter 7**

**Approximately one year later**

Sora kicked her legs in the air, laughing as Rosetta walked around the room on her hands. "Come on, Rosetta, will you quit that? May's gonna be here any second with Ken, and they said they had something to tell us- and we all know what it's going to be."

"Wedding announcements!" The entire room sang together, then burst out laughing again.

Ken and May had been dating for a whole year now, and while they had had a few fights, nothing seemed to be able to get them apart. Everybody was counting down the days until Ken proposed.

Kaleido Stage was full of romantic news these days. There was always the Ken and May story to focus on, and Sarah had been Kalos's fiancée for three months now. Rosetta was dating a member of the audience she had met one day after the show, and Anna and Mia both had found guys as well. Marion, being a little too young for her father to even _think_ about letting her date, merely came to these 'bashing men' sessions usually held in Sora's room for practice when she was older.

Sora herself wasn't dating anyone at the moment, and though she had seen a few guys, they all seemed especially plain and shallow, compared to Leon. She had nursed her little crush on him into a burning desire, even though she had never once voiced her obsession with him. Not that it had to be forced anymore... not after last week...

_One week previously_

_Leon was just sitting down on his couch with a glass of wine when he heard someone knocking on his door. He groaned, then decided just not to answer it. Truth was, he was worried sick. Sora hadn't shown up for today's performance- and Sora never, EVER missed a show. He wanted to be out looking for her. Who cared if they found out he loved her? If she was hurt, nothing else mattered then making sure she lived._

_But he had forced himself to not go out and search for her... for tonight, at least. Because, if he was wrong about this, then everyone would find out he loved her, and, more importantly, so would Sora. He wasn't going to risk losing her friendship- but tomorrow morning, Leon was going to search for her. He had to find her._

_Whoever it was was still pounding at his door. With a sigh, he got to his feet and trudged over the door, then opened it to reveal a hysterical young girl, who was practically sobbing as her entire body trembled. "Sora?" he asked, bewildered. After a moment of him just standing there, her still crying, he exclaimed, "Sora!" and quickly pulled her inside._

_"Come on," he coaxed gently, wrapping a firm arm around her shoulders and leading her to his couch." Sit down, Sora." He pushed down on her shoulders to make her sit down, since she seemed incapable of doing much of anything right now and wrapped his arms around her. Sora buried her head in his chest, still sobbing, and Leon recoiled in shock for a moment before hugging her tighter. "Shh. It's okay, Sora, it's okay," he soothed, even though he had no idea what was wrong._

_When he thought she was finally calm enough to talk, he pulled back slightly though he still kept an arm around her and said quietly, "Sora, tell me what happened." _

_Sora wiped her eyes, and though she was still crying she managed to force out, "It's Yume."_

_Leon blinked, confused. What was she talking about? "Yume? Who's Yume?"_

_"My... my little sister," Sora gasped buried her head in his chest once more. Her voice muffled, she continued, "She collapsed! I was just talking with Mom and Dad and she collapsed! They called 911 and took her down to the hospital but the doctors wouldn't tell us anything but I knew I had a show to perform and didn't know what to do and then I realized I'd already missed it and... and..."_

_"Oh, god, Sora," he whispered, flashing back to that dreadful call he gotten from the hospital so many years ago, that agonizing hours spent in the ER waiting room… He just hugged her tighter, feeling her tears soak his shirt. "I... I don't know what to say..." Sora sobbed harder, shaking her head and gripping him tighter._

_They sat like this for nearly ten minutes, though it felt like hours, until Sora's cell phone rang. When she didn't reach for it, Leon tentatively took it out of her pocket and glanced at the caller ID, then looked back up at Sora and said, "It's your mother."_

_Sora gasped, then snatched the phone away from him and pressed it to her ear, gasping, "Mom, what's going on? Is Yume okay?" She listened for a moment, then sighed, closing her eyes and sagging against him in relief as she dropped the phone to the floor. After a moment, she whispered, "Yume's going to be okay. She's going to be fine."_

_Leon sighed in relief too, wrapping his arms around her just a little bit tighter. Sora remained in his embrace a moment longer, then pulled back- was he imagining it, or did she just seem a little bit reluctant..?_

_"I should get going, my parents need me down at the hospital with them... Leon-san, thank you so much. I... I don't even know how to thank you for tonight." _

_Leon put his hands on her arms and looked down at her with a small smile. "You don't have to," he whispered. "Sora."_

_She continued to look at him, then said softly, "Leon-sa... Leon?" Sora slowly put her hands on his shoulders, allowing Leon to gently raise her up on her tiptoes to eye level._

_They stared at each other, then slowly leaned forward and kissed her._

_And Sora kissed him back._

_He pulled away almost immediately, but after a moment of hesitation, he kissed her again, this time with more confidence. And now she wrapped one arm firmly around him, grabbing fistfuls of his hair with the other, kissing him back fiercely. "Leon!" she gasped when he let her go, only to gently slide off her shirt and pull her closer as he collapsed onto the couch._

_Sora fumbled sloppily with the buttons on his shirt, and he laughed quietly before as he helped her, forming her hands around the buttons until it ended up on the floor. Next when his pants and her skirt, and then the silver-haired beast and the purple-haired goddess became one._

_KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR _

_When Leon woke up the next morning, the remnants of the wonderful dream still in his mind, he sighed before forcing his eyes open. But... had it really been a dream? Leon had convinced himself the fact that his clothes were on the floor and he was sleeping on the couch meant nothing, that it had just been a dream..._

_But even though Sora was gone, her cell phone was still on the floor, and he wasn't hungover. No hallucination, and her cell phone was physical evidence. He and Sora had… had slept together._

_KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR_

_When Leon passed Sora on his way to the practice rooms, he nodded and greeted her with, "Sora," without even looking at her._

_Sora nodded back and said, "Leon-san." And that was it. No discussion about what had happened the night before, no talk or anything whatsoever. Even their fragile friendship was gone. They were back to the cold indifference they had started with._

-Back to the present-

Sora sighed, shaking her head. That had been over a week ago. Since then, nothing had changed. Leon was still refusing to talk to her or touch her. Whenever he had to catch or hold her for a rehearsal, there was never any of the nervous feelings or sweetness the moments had held before. Now it was unbearably uncomfortable, and he would release her as soon as possible. Sora was very, _very_ grateful for that- the reason she had left the morning after was because she hadn't wanted to face him. To talk this out with him... because she still didn't know what it had meant. Sora wasn't entirely sure if she loved Leon or not... if the attraction was more than just physical. She was trying so hard to sort everything out, but it was impossible.

With a groan, Sora shook her hair out of her eyes and forced a smile when May and Ken entered the room. They were both smiling bright enough to light up New York city.

"Well? Sarah prompted excitably when neither said anything. "What's the big news? I want to complain about Kalos, which I can't do until Ken leaves! So hurry it up, puh-leeeeease?"

Ken and May looked at each other, both beaming brilliantly, then Ken turned to them and said, "Well, we've got really got two pieces of news..."

May took a deep breath, then said, "We're engaged."

The room was silent for a moment, then they all erupted into cheers. "May, that is so amazing!" Sora exclaimed as she hugged her tightly, then Ken as she told him, "Congrats, Ken!"

The others carried out similar exchanges with them, and Sarah was about to start a full-out party when Ken exclaimed, "Wait, Sarah, before you go all-out... well, you should at least know all the reasons you're celebrating, right?"

Sarah hesitated, then exclaimed, "There's more?"

They both nodded, and May's voice was thick with emotion as she took Ken's hand and rested it on her stomach. "I'm... I'm quitting Kaleido Stage next month- for the time being, at least- because... because... I'm pregnant."

Everyone remained frozen for at least five seconds, then Rosetta choked out, "You... and him... are..."

"Pregnant," Ken finished for her, wrapping his arms around his fiancée's stomach.

No one said anything for a moment longer, and then they all congratulated the couple again, more enthusiastic than before. "May, Ken... oh my god, that is just the best news I have heard in a _long_ time," Sora told them as she hugged them both again.

The celebration for the new couple lasted long into the night, and by the time it was over, it was past midnight. With a heavy sigh, Sora closed her door and collapsed onto her bed, closing her eyes.

While she was thrilled about her friend's pregnancy, it also worried her slightly. Okay, more than slightly. Sora was scared that Leon may have gotten her pregnant that night... but it had only been a week ago. Nothing was certain... yet.

Sora made up her mind to go buy a pregnancy test the next day. She had to be 100 percent sure.

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

Sora flinched away from Leon's hands, even though they were the only things keeping her from falling. Though they were cold as ice, they made her skin burn, and she wasn't sure why she tried to pull away, but she did. Perhaps because she was afraid she would fall even harder for him, if she welcomed his touch, like she had before. And Sora may have no idea what to do right now, but she did know _that_ would be the stupidest decision of her life.

Leon bit down on his lip, hard, when Sora stiffened the moment his hands touched her's. She had been like this ever since that night. Some part of him wanted to talk to her about it, but the rest of him hoped it would remain in the past and never be spoken of again. Ever.

Still, it hurt when she recoiled from him like that. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were with her. When everything was so much simpler, before that night of the angel taking him and changing his life forever.

Of course, his life had never been the same after he met her. Last week had only solidified that.

Cathy abruptly called out, "Stop, stop, stop!" Sora and Leon stopped practicing, looking down at her in confusion, careful not to look at each other. She put her hands up on her hips and looked up at them, then called, "Okay, both of you, get down here!" Leon glanced at Sora to see route she was taking to ensure he took the opposite only to find her doing the same. He quickly reverted his gaze to the ground and hurried down to Cathy, trying not to look at Sora.

When they were both standing in front of Cathy, careful to keep a thick, cold wall between them, she said, "Look, I don't know what's going on between you two, but it needs to stop. Now. The routines are technically perfect, but where's the emotion? You're supposed to be star-crossed lovers! Sora, you barely even touch Leon! You don't cling to him, you throw yourself away from him! And Leon, you don't even look at her! You're staring at the ceiling, your hands, the trapeze- anything but Sora! Now, I don't know if you two had a fight or what, but it's beginning to affect your performances. So work it out. Now."

She waited for them both to nod before sighing in exhaustion and putting down her clipboard. "Look, we're not going to get anything more done tonight. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Sora perked up and immediately rushed out of the practice room, eager to get home. She had bought the pregnancy test earlier... all she had to do was take it.

KALEIDO STAGE KALEIDO STAGE KALEIDO STAGE

After stalling for nearly an hour, Sora had finally worked up the nerve to take the test. Now it had been nearly ten minutes, and she still hadn't gotten up to go look at it.

Sora was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Fool flying over to look at it. He called out to her, "Sorry, Sora, but the suspense was killing me- you're not pregnant."

"What?" she gasped, then dashed over to check it for herself. When a cursory glance told that Fool was, in fact, telling the truth she fell back on her bed and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Not pregnant. Thank god.

Now she just had to figure out what to do about Leon.

Review please


	8. Chapter 8

:D

**Chapter 8**

"Sora!"

Sora started, then shook her head, trying to forget the dream as she looked down at the floor where someone was waving at her. She gasped, then jumped down to the floor and ran straight at her. "Layla-san!" she exclaimed, enveloping her in a tight hug. Layla laughed, slightly startled, and returned the expression in kind. Then Sora took a step back, looking her up and down in amazement. "What are you doing here?"

"Kalos called me. He said they're going to need someone for Rosetta to star with, since May's taking time off, and I was in the neighborhood. So I'm here until she gets back, which could be a year or more. Yuri wasn't happy."

Sora smiled brightly, barely able to contain her excitement. "Oh my god, Layla-san! I can't believe you're back! This is amazing! ...wait, why wasn't Yuri happy? Isn't he getting a job here too?"

"Yeah, Kalos said he would make me, Yuri, and Rosetta a trio, but that's not the point- Yuri wants to start a family, but I obviously can't be a trapeze artist if I'm pregnant. I didn't know if you had heard, by the way, but..." Layla held up her left hand, and a bright diamond sparkled on her ring finger.

"Are you- you're getting-" Sora breathed, and Layla nodded with a smile.

"Yep. Wedding's set for three months from tomorrow, in that chapel down the street from here. I was wondering if you guys could come...?"

Sora laughed and nodded enthusiastically. "Well, yeah, of course!"

Layla nodded, relieved. "That's good."

"Not to spoil the sweet reunion moment here, but we do have some practicing to get on with if we want this performance to be any good at all, Sora!" Cathy shouted at her, and Sora sighed before turning back around and trudging back to the stage.

Sure, performing and all that was still fun... but it was nothing compared to before, with Layla, and this past year, with Leon. Sometimes Sora wished she hadn't run off that morning... that she had stayed and talked this through with him...

After three more hours of grueling practice in which Sora and Leon still refused to touch either, Cathy just simply gave up. "Listen, you two, I'm not going to bother repeating the same speech I gave you yesterday. Just work it out. Now." With that, she stormed right past Layla and Yuri, leaving Sora and Leon both staring at the ground.

Once Cathy was gone, Leon started to walk away, but Sora decided it was time to stop. "Leon-san!" she called out pleadingly, and he stopped but didn't turn around. "Leon, I'm _sorry_, okay? I'm sorry!"

He shrugged, then turned around to face her but kept looking at a spot above her shoulder. "You're not the one who should be apologizing, Sora. Let's just forget about it," he said coldly before brushing past her, ignoring her completely. She stared after him, struggling to control whatever the hell she was feeling, when Layla pulled her back to reality.

"Sora! What on earth is going on? What is Leon talking about, and why wouldn't you touch him on stage?"

She glanced nervously around, biting down on her lip, then said quietly, "Yuri-san... could you give us a minute?"

Yuri looked between her and Layla in confusion for a moment, then nodded quickly and said, "I'll see you later tonight, Layla." He kissed her on the cheek, then left. Sora waited for the door to close to groan heavily and lean back against the wall, holding her head in her hands.

"Sora?" Layla asked hesitantly, walking forward to stand beside her, looking down at her in concern. "What's going on?"

"It's Leon." Sora paused, uncertain, then looked up at Layla and said softly, "Look... this may be a really, _really_ personal question, but... when you first slept with Yuri... were you still with partners?"

Layla blinked and took a step back, shocked, then smiled slightly in understanding. "You slept with Leon, didn't you?"

"What? No!" Sora exclaimed, but when Layla crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, she relented. "Okay, maybe I did... but it wasn't like that! It wasn't like we were dating or we planned it or anything... it just sort of happened. And it's been over a week now and he still won't talk to me, although that's kind of my fault..."

"How is it your fault, Sora?" Layla asked curiously.

She hesitated, then looked away and mumbled, "Well, um, the next morning, I sort of woke up and ran off before Leon woke up."

Layla gasped in shock, then exclaimed, "Sora! Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't know what it meant! I mean, he was already drunk, I think, and we were so close and we just started kissing and one thing led to another and I didn't know what to tell him!" Sora nearly shouted, exasperated, then sank to the floor, holding her head in her hands again. "I don't know if he loves me or if I love him, and I really don't know what to tell him."

Layla sighed, then sat down next to Sora and explained gently, "Sora, the reason I guessed it so quickly is because the same thing happened to me and Yuri. We were acting just like you two are now, and for similar reasons... until I finally told Yuri he had to chose- either he could keep making it awkward between us, or we could try to start over. Obviously, he chose the latter," she said, raising her hand and displaying her engagement ring again.

Sora hesitated uncertainly, then asked, "So... you're telling me I should talk to Leon about it? Give him an ultimatum like you gave Yuri?"

Layla nodded as she pulled Sora to her feet. "Exactly. Although, Sora... Yuri and I waited until _after_ we quit Kaleido Stage to start dating. You should do the same with Leon. Otherwise-"

"Wait, dating him? La- Layla-san, what are you talking about?"

With a chuckle, Layla shook her head and smiled at her. "Sora, everybody knows. The first thing Yuri asked Kalos was if you two had gotten together yet. Hell, there's even a bet going around on you two. And it's not on whether or not you two will get together, it's on _how soon_ you two will start dating. Trust me, he likes you. All you'd have to do is ask."

KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR KALEIDO STAR

When Yuri left, he decided to just let the girls talk, but that still left him with no where to go. He hesitated, thinking about Sora's behavior with Layla and the strange practice he had seen with Leon, then smiled satisfactorily. He knew exactly what the problem was.

"Leon!" he called, hurrying after him. "Leon!"

The star stopped and turned around, watching him coldly. "What, Yuri?" he bit out angrily.

Yuri crossed his arms with a smirk and asked, "You slept with her, didn't you?"

Leon's eyes widened in shock for a split second before he controlled his expression and snapped, "What?"

"Sora. You slept with her. Right?"

Leon stared at him in absolute fear before he said coldly, "I don't know what you're talking about." He was about to walk away when Yuri grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back.

"Leon, I know I'm right because this is exactly how I acted with Layla, after the same happened to us! When you were on stage and had to touch each other, it was the worst 'love scene moment' I've ever seen- Sora pulled away from you as fast as possible and you barely even touch her to begin with. And afterwards? You still wouldn't even look at her!"

He hesitated, then glared at Yuri as he said slowly, "Let's just say you're right about what happened. It still doesn't matter. Layla clearly loves you. The two situations are entirely different."

"And how do you know Sora doesn't love you?"

Leon started pacing as he shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because when I woke up, she was gone? And it wasn't like she came over to seduce me! She came over because, I don't know, she was terrified about her little sister, she needed comfort, I really have no idea, but it wasn't to have sex! And once she felt better I just took advantage of her, but she wanted me too!"

Yuri blinked, then just started laughing. "When I woke up, Layla was gone, too! And it wasn't like we planned to have sex, either. She came over to my place because she was upset- it was the anniversary of her mother's death, and her father had just disowned her because she had turned him down when he offered her a modeling career, saying she wanted to stick with Kaleido Stage. Why do you think Sora went to you for comfort, Leon? Do you think she just went knocking on random doors until someone answered? She went to _you_, specifically. Think about that."

Yuri turned and started to leave, but Leon stopped him. "Wait, Yuri- how did you and Layla... make up, I guess? I mean, something obviously changed..."

He smiled and shrugged, shaking his head. "Layla told me that things were never going to get any better between us unless we wiped the slate clean. We talked about it, decided the sex meant nothing, and tried to forget about it. Obviously, the sex didn't mean nothing for us, which is the same with you and Sora. I think it's pretty clear you love her... and she loves you."

Leon struggled to control his expression as he turned his back to Yuri, biting down hard on his lower lip. "Yeah, right."

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"So, will you tell us _now_, Sora?"

She shook her head, desperately trying to think of something else to talk about. "So. um, Rosetta, what's up with your boyfriend nowadays? And Sarah, how are things with Kalos?"

Since May was getting an ultrasound with Ken, the only ones here were Sarah, Rosetta, Anna, Mia, and Marion, and they all laughed at Sora's particularly lame attempts to avoid the question. "Look, Sora, everybody knows something's up with you and Leon. All we want you to do is-"

Rosetta was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sora got to her feet eagerly and said, "I'll get that, it's probably May."

"Don't think we're not getting this out of you, girl," Rosetta muttered under her breath as Sora headed over to her door.

With another eye roll, Sora opened the door with a smile as she said, "So, May, how'd the- Leon?"

The older man nodded slightly, then said softly, "Sora, can I speak with you for a minute? Alone?"

Sora stared at him for another moment, then nodded quickly and stepped back to let him in. The others all looked between her and Leon in amazement, then filed out of her room immediately, giving her sly winks or smiles. Sora just glared at them, waiting until the last person had left to quickly shut the door, then stand awkwardly before Leon.

"We really should-"

"Sora, I-"

They both stopped, smiling sheepishly as they gestured for the other to go first. Sora swallowed back her response and nodded at Leon again, so he said, "Sora, I, um... we really ought to..."

"Talk about what happened?" she supplied, and he chuckled, then nodded.

"Yeah."

Leon was about to continue when Sora burst out, "Leon, I... I'm sorry I ran out on you like that. I know I shouldn't of, but I just didn't... I didn't really know what to think, and..."

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah... look, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry it happened like that. I'm not the type to go and have sex with someone when they're looking for comfort."

"Yeah, neither am I! But... it was just..."

"Hey, I know. I was there too, Sora." He smiled slightly, then looked down at her again and continued, "Look... we just need to forget everything, all right? What happened, happened, but that's in the past. We can't change it. Let's just start over."

Sora nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I agree... so... just friends?" she asked, not even sure what she wanted his answer to be.

"Yes. Just friends." Sora smiled slightly as she looked up into Leon's eyes, then froze. He was so close... and so perfect...

This time, _she_ leaned forward and kissed _him_.

Once she pulled back, leaving Leon- and herself- shocked, he quickly took a step back and swallowed, forcing a smile. "So, just friends?" he asked her, even though he wanted the answer to be something more than friendship.

Sora nodded quickly, wiping her mouth. "Yeah. Just friends."

So, that last chapter is going to be the last, but if you want a sequel, I'll do it. Holy freakin crap, I just wrote nine chapter in seven days. Wow. Most I've written in a while.


	9. Chapter 9

:D My first Kaleido Star fanfic… ending. Well, it had to. Thanks to all my reviewers, especially sora29leon for reviewing every chapter. This one's for you.

**Chapter 9**

"Good luck, Sora!" Leon told her as he hurried back onto stage.

She smiled widely and nodded in return, calling, "Good luck!" just before he jumped out of her line of vision. When he was gone, Sora sighed, then leaned back against the wall and waited for her entrance.

It had been two weeks since the 'just friends' talk, and, ignoring how it had ended, things were going pretty well between them. It was almost back to the way there were. True, both Sora and Leon were trying hard to keep things at least civil and not to talk about that mistake at his house a few weeks ago, but still, it was better than the cold indifference of before. Cathy- as well as Sora's posse- had been thrilled. Layla had been asking her about Leon alot more recently, though- she, like her friends, wanted to know if they were going to get together or not. But Layla's questions were a little more concerned and less eager than the others...

Layla crouched down, then launched herself off the ledge, aiming straight for the trapeze across from Yuri. An easy jump. Everything was simple. A rookie could do it without complications.

But, of course... the complications.

The moment Layla's right hand grabbed the trapeze, one of the ropes snapped, leaving her hanging for dear life with one hand, the other unable to reach high enough. Layla froze in shock for a moment, then kicked wildly, trying to swing somewhere, _anywhere_ close enough to grab another trapeze.

Yuri saw the other rope start to fray and shouted, "_Layla! No_!" as he dived for her. The momentum from his jump was enough for him to grab Layla and carry her safely across to another, lower trapeze. He landed hard, causing it to swing towards a wall. Yuri braced himself for the impact, shielding Layla with his body and wrapping his arms around her in an iron grip.

"Layla!" he gasped once he had his breath back. "Are you all right?"

Layla nodded shakily, staring at the broken trapeze in shock.

But that was when she realized.

"_Sora_!" she screamed. "_Stop_!" But it was too late. Sora, unaware of the broken trapeze, had just jumped in from her entrance- reaching for open air. "_Sora_!" Layla fought to get away from Yuri, but he held her tight and refused to let go.

Sora screamed when her hand closed around open air and not a trapeze, looking up in shock. She didn't even have time to react, but someone else did.

"_Sora_!" A black and silver blur shouted as he collided with her, knocking her off stage with a crash, out of Layla's line of vision. At that, it was too much. She broke out of Yuri's grasp and jumped forward, catching onto a trapeze at the edge of the stage, then froze in shock once she caught sight of Sora.

The young girl was hanging from the catwalk by one arm, the other grasping an unconscious Leon's hand, keeping him from falling the twenty or so feet to the ground. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easy for Sora to pull herself up, but Leon was twice her size and double her weight. With one arm? It was impossible.

"Sora!" Layla gasped in a panic, gripping the trapeze tighter. "Sora, don't let go! Hang on, I'm coming!"

Sora strained to keep hold of both Leon and the catwalk, one finger slipping off the bar. "Hurry, Layla!" she screamed, tightening her hold on Leon as she panted for breath and refused to let go.

Just when Sora's grip slipped to one finger, then none, Layla dove for her, one hand reaching for Sora, the other for the catwalk. She grabbed both with a grunt, the sudden weight of other 400 pounds pulling down on her left arm so hard she thought the bone was about to shatter. And the pain in her right arm was no cakewalk, either.

Pulling up Sora and herself would have been difficult, but doable. But not Leon too. "Sora!" she ground out through clenched teeth, all the while gasping for breath. "You have to drop him!"

"No!" Sora shouted, shaking her head and gripping Leon tighter.

"Sora, please!" she begged, feeling her grip growing weaker and weaker by the second.

Yuri stared at the three in shock, then shouted, "Layla, hang on! I'm coming, just hang on!"

When Layla's grip lost another finger, she knew she had no choice. Just moments before her efforts failed completely, Layla brought her heel back and rammed it into Sora's left shoulder. As pain shot down the younger woman's arm, she reached to feel her grasp her shoulder as a reflex. A reflex which meant she had to let Leon go.

"_Leon! Leon_!" Sora screamed, writhing in Layla's grip. Layla knew that Sora was going to let go just to get to Leon, so she tossed her back onto stage so Sora could make her way down via the trapezes instead of falling 20 feet.

Yuri dashed up above her and grabbed her arm, pulling her up to safety. The moment she was on firm ground again, he pulled her tightly against him, gasping, "Layla! Oh thank god... are you okay?"

Still panting for breath, she managed to choke out, "Y- Yuri... Yuri!" before collapsing into his arms, shaking violently.

Sora landed on her hands and knees next to Leon, letting out a gasp when she saw his limp, broken body passed out on the ground. "Le... Leon! No!" she whispered, then ran to him, shaking him violently. "Leon, wake up!" she begged. "Leon, please! You have to wake up!"

Leon's eyes fluttered open, and he breathed, "So...ra?"

She gasped in relief, tears coming to her eyes as she pleaded, "Leon, stay with me. Just hang on. Help's on the way, I promise, you've just gotta stay still for me. Please, Leon!"

He whispered, "Sora, I... love... you." Then he was out like a light.

Sora sat there in shock for a good five seconds, then hugged his limp body tightly to her as she gasped, "No, Leon! Don't give up on me now! Please, Leon! I'm so sorry, I love you too, just please, Leon, please, don't do this!"

When the paramedics got there, they couldn't pry her away from Leon. She just would not let go of him.

"Sora," someone coaxed from behind her. "Sora, you have to let go of him. He'll be okay. It'll be okay, I promise." Sora still didn't release him, but as the EMTs started to take him away from her, she didn't resist, just doubled over in tears. "Come here," Layla murmured, wrapping one arm tightly around Sora and crushing her to her chest, rubbing small circles into her back. "It's gonna be okay, Sora. He's going to be fine," Layla told her, more because she didn't think Sora would be able to hold herself together if she believed otherwise- not because it was actually true. While Layla fervently hoped Leon would be okay- more for Sora's sake than for his- she had no idea of what was wrong with him. She could only pray that he would live, because she didn't know what it would do to Sora if he didn't.

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They had been in the waiting room at the hospital for four hours. They being Layla, Yuri, Kalos, and Sora. Sora's friends had been left behind at Kaleido Stage to try and salvage the show, though there was little hope of that. Sora herself had been too distracted to continue performing- Layla's philosophy of 'the show must go on' did not pertain to your partner- and your love- nearly dying, his condition still unknown. Yuri had wanted to be with Layla, who was injured herself- the struggle on the catwalk had ripped her shoulder and elbow joints right out of the sockets.* Her arm was broken, making it literally impossible to perform.

Yuri was currently sitting next to Layla, his arm around her shoulders, her head in his chest as she fought to stay awake. Kalos was standing nervously by the door, tapping his foot impatiently, his arms tightly crossed over his chest. Sora herself was pacing around the room, having already given up trying to remain calm and now just trying to not scream as she waited for news on Leon.

Before tonight, Sora hadn't known that she loved him. But then she'd face the possibility of losing him, just moments after he had saved her life- and he told her he loved her. After that... there was no going back.

Though Sora desperately wanted to stay awake, after the terror on the catwalk, her body was beginning to shut down. She could feel the exhaustion tugging at her and knew she wouldn't be conscious much longer. Sora was just about to sit down when the doctor finally came out and called Leon's family.

The four from Kaleido Stage hurried forward, Sora being the quickest, her need to sleep, now gone. "Well? How is he?" she demanded, breathing hard as she prayed that he would be okay. He just had to be.

The doctor smiled slightly, focusing on her as he said, "Leon is going to be fine."

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Layla smiled slightly at Sora, who was curled up in the chair beside Leon's hospital bed, fast asleep. Leon had a couple of broken ribs and would have to take it easy for the next few weeks, but other then that, he was perfectly fine. Kalos had left as soon as he knew Leon's condition, which left Yuri, Layla, and Sora. Layla hadn't wanted to leave Sora alone, and Yuri hadn't wanted to leave Layla, period, so they had all been waiting in Leon's room for him to wake up for past three hours.

She chuckled under her breath, then tugged at Yuri's sleeve and murmured, "Come on. Let's go home. There's nothing more we can do here, and besides, Sora and Leon really need to be alone."

Yuri nodded silently in understanding, then took her hand and led her to the door.

The sound of the door shutting woke Sora up. She blinked, sitting upright as she looked around in confusion. Once she realized what was happening, she sighed, leaning back in her chair and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, then returned her gaze to Leon.

All was silent in the room for several minutes until Leon started to wake up. She got to her feet uncertainly as his eyes fluttered open. He blinked blearily, then rolled his head over to look at her. "Sora?" he asked softly, looking her up and down in confusion. "What... what are you doing here?"

She smiled slightly and took his hand, kissing it before she said quietly, "Leon? I love you too."

*I actually broke my arm like that once. It hurts like a BITCH! Anyways, fine, you win. I'll write a sequel, but first I have to go back to my SVU stories- I promised them a Part Five a long time ago. And I want to write another Casey/Olivia fic because that's been on my mind for a while. But once I've given them some love, I'll write the sequel. Review please


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